Category: Josh Ritter

Thursday Morning Music Shuffle – Almost Home Mix

It’s Thursday…. let’s have a shuffle…

“Stand by Me” by Spyder Turner from

I don’t know how I’ve lived these *mumble, mumble* years without having experienced this version of Stand by Me.  But a big thanks to Popa’s Tunes via the latest (I think) Feel Bad for You mixtape.

Spyder Turner not only delivers a soulful version of the song made famous by Ben E. King, but he also delivers a spot on homage to a veritable who’s who of 20th Century Soul Music.

“A New Black  (Live and Unplugged)” by Moon Taxi from Acoustic on West 56th/ originally from Mountains Beaches Cities

Nashville’s Moon Taxi have certainly done well for themselves.  The original version of this song was featured in a prominent car commercial.  This a pretty cool unplugged version of the song.

 

“The Apple Blossom Rag” by Josh Ritter from  The Beast in its Tracks

A few months back, I was driving home late at night and I was listening to Public Radio.  I heard this show  called Wits with guests Josh Ritter and Margaret Cho.   There were several funny moments including  skit where early period Michael Stipe was a police detective.  Oh and Josh Ritter closed the show with a version of the Talking Heads’ song Psycho Killer.  Anyway, this is Josh Ritter doing what Josh Ritter does really, really well.

 

“I Shot President McKinley (and I’m gonna do it again and again and again)” by Out of System Transfer from Mama Coco’s Funky Kitchen: Section 5/ Same Rat, Different Hat

Oh man, what a fun song, and I instantly need to know more about this band.  What I know is that they recorded at Mama Coco’s Funky Kitchen (who by the way met their Indiegogo goal! and can hopefully get up and making more great music at their new space).  I just really love this song. Right now, it stands as the funniest song I know about a Presidential assassination.

 

“Almost Home” by Moby (feat. Damien Jurado)  from Innocents

Okay.  I can’t really say that I am a huge Moby fan.  For one thing, I used to always get him mixed up with Seal.  Don’t ask how I did that, I am weird that way.  Anyway, on his latest  (I think) release he teams up with (among others) Damien Jurado (who is one of my favorites).   The result is this lovely and moving song.  As a video extra, the playlist below features a cover of this song by Nashville band Humming House.   *Additional trivia: Moby was not on How I Met Your Mother, but he was on The Mindy Project.

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SHOP FOR MUSIC:

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Tuesday Morning Music Shuffle – Foggy Notion Mix

For me, the thing about Lou Reed’s music that is most significant is not that it made me fall in love with Lou Reed’s music, it is that it opened up my mind to the possibilities of what music could be.  It started this life-long quest for what is next and what else is there.  Certainly, I did fall in love with Lou Reed’s music both in and out of the Velvet Underground, but I didn’t stay there.  I don’t know how many posts I say in the hours after the news of his death broke about Lou Reed being the doorkeeper or gatekeeper. It was also so gratifying to see a very diverse list of people who acknowledged the influence that Lou Reed had on their music.

See, I don’t write Ear to the Ground to make money – I would have quit long ago if that were the case, and I don’t write to make friends with so many cool artists – although that it is a pretty nifty side-effect. I write Ear to the Ground (and I keep writing on those days when I am not sure anyone is reading) because music moves me.  Lou Reed’s music moves me and the band who you’ve never heard about – there music moves me.  And the music that is being made somewhere in the world that I haven’t heard yet – that moves me. See, I’m passionate about music. I write Ear to the Ground because even if I stopped writing this blog, I would still be thinking about music and wondering what was next and what else was out there waiting for me to hear.



Let’s Shuffle

“Lillian, Egypt” (LIVE) by Josh Ritter  (from Live at the Iveagh Gardens. I dig Josh Ritter.  He writes cool songs and he has a great voice. That’s pretty much enough for me sometimes.)

“Desperado” by Linda Ronstadt (a cover of a then still recent Eagles song from her fourth studio album, Don’t Cry Now. I’m honestly not a huge Eagle’s fan – but to tell the truth, Linda Ronstadt could have been singing the phonebook, and I would be listening. Beside, while listening to this song I found my self staring into the horizon like Karl Farbman on Seinfeld.)

“May the Road Rise to Meet Your Face” by James Crawford (from his self-titled debut.  I think this is a traditional Irish Toast. I have to say it is really cool when some you have known for a long time makes a truly great record.)

“Temporary Though Exchange (AKT Vocal Version)” by Its Teeth with Travis Orbin and Gabriel from The Gabriel Construct (from Divided – which you can get  here   – CD Sold out digital still available – One of the reasons I stay open, not only to genres and styles of music but to the various ways that music reaches my ear holes, is that I never know…  Earlier this year I was introduced to The Gabriel Construct by a music promoter – one of the best in my opinion and thus discovered one of the best, most challenging albums of the year.  Gabriel recommended this album which includes his collaborator Travis Orbin and on which Gabriel contributed vocals to this track. I never know… if I had dismissed the submission for The Gabriel Construct because it had come from a promoter – not only would I have missed out on that album, but more than likely I never would have heard this amazing record either.)

“Dixie Fried” by The Howlin’ Brothers (from The Sun Studio Sessions.  Nashville’s own, The Howlin’ Brothers start off their album recorded at the famous Sun Studios in Memphis with a cover of a song by one of the legends who came out of that storied, tiny building on Union Avenue – the late great Carl Perkins.)

“New Boy” by The Connells (from New Boy. The title track from the Mid 90s EP by this great and perhaps underrated band from North Carolina.)

 
 
WATCH
 
 
 


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Monday Morning Music Shuffle – What Now? Mix

We have a pretty lengthy mix of music and not much time, so let’s get to it.

Gotta make it quick today…

Here’s my brief take on today’s list:

“Don’t Mess With The Girl From Texas” by The Dead Exs (sound advice from the Relovolution album)

“Me and Jiggs” and “Bright Smiles” by Josh Ritter

“The Poor People of Paris” by Les Paul and Mary Ford (my Father-in-Law has some great Les Paul stories…)

“The Real Me” by Shooter Jennings (from the Family Man album – which I found at Goodwill for $1.50 sealed)

“Hold it Now, Hit It” and “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” by Beastie Boys

“Baby Blue” and “No Surprise” by Miss Shevaughn and Yuma Wray (hope to meet this two this week)

“Brick X Brick” by Christopher Paul Stelling (if you haven’t you must check out his latest album False Cities)

“I Met Her in Church” and “Soul Deep” by The Box Tops (classic Memphis pop-soul)

“Been Listening” By Johnny Flynn

“Long Way to the Ground” by The End Men (as we send them off of their European Tour)

“X-Ray Pop Vision” by “Dead Pop Stars Society

“Golden” by Radio Nationals (Seattle Rock Band)

“Bill, I believe This is Killing Me” by Ed Tang

“Nature Boy” by Big Star

“Ghosts in Machines” by New Victorians

“Runaway” by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes

“Lonely Tonight” by McNary

“Cool Rockin’ Daddy” by Mark Robinson

Check out today’s Video Playlist
 
 
 


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Thursday Morning Music Shuffle – What’s Going On? Mix

You have to wonder… don’t you?

Ah….but it is a beautiful day in Nashville, and we have some music for you…

Jump to it….

We start the morning’s music by luxuriating in the amazing voice of Linda Ronstadt…

“Long, Long Time” by Linda Ronstadt from Silk Purse (1970)

“Wait for Love (Live)” by Josh Ritter from Live at the Iveagh Gardens (2011) (original version of the song is on The Historical Conquests of  (2007)

“Runaway” (Del Shannon Cover) by Shake Jack from their Zombie Girl EP (2013) (Some cool surf rock from Buenos Aires)

 


“Love Hate and 808s” by Dead Pop Stars Society from Dead Pop Stars Society (2013)

 
 


 
 



 
VIDEO PLAYLIST
 

 




Wednesday/Thursday Evening/Morning Music Shuffle – Luckiest Guy in the World Mix


Railroad Bridge – Nashville

Good morning, I am back after a day off… my new earphones are still In-Transit, so today I presenting my mix of yesterday’s drive home and today’s drive in to work.  Jump through to the marvelous musical mixture…

Yesterday on my hot and sweaty drive home, I listened to the following songs:

“Nashville” by Casey Black (It’s always cool to hear a song about the city that has been my home for the past twenty-something years. It’s also cool anytime I can hear a Casey Black song)

“Paul Revere” by Beastie Boys (a history lesson and the first of three by Mike D, MCA, and Ad-Rock)

“Most People” by Dawes (This.)

“She’s Crafty” by Beastie Boys (I don’t think they are talking about Wendy Russell, but I could be wrong)

“That’s the Story of My Life” by The Velvet Underground (That’s the difference between wrong and right)

“My Whole Life” by EdTang (Seriously though EdTang is very cool. Check it out)

“Frank Lloyd Wright” by Joseph Mooradian (a singer-songwriter from Nashville. I first heard him sing at a coffee house show at our church a few years ago.  A mesmerizing vocal style. Check out his Soundcloud for tons of great originals and covers)

“Time to Get Ill” by Beastie Boys (song #3 of this mix from the Boys!)

“This Morning” by Human Face (New music from UK band Human Face!)

Music from this morning:

“The Witching Hour” by The Gypsy West  (I don’t always listen to psych prog rock stuff from Brooklyn, but when I do, it is likely to be The Gypsy West)

“Crows on a Phone Line” by Let’s Active (One of my favorite songs.  I don’t remember if I first loved this song because I used to write a bunch of bad poetry about crows or if I wrote a bunch of bad poetry about crows because I loved this song.  I’m not sure it matters at this point, but the bottom line: This song is awesome, most of my old poetry about crows was not awesome.)

“Till the End of the Day” (Kinks Cover) by Big Star (I never go far, without a little Big Star… seriously though, a classic Kinks tune done by Alex Chilton, Jody Stephens and company – just about all I need…)

“One More Time” by Taco Land (from Pancakes and Pizza – which is truly one of my favorite albums of the year. Joseph Russell’s voice just resonates at the perfect pitch in soul)

“Fields of Clover” by The Box Tops (Before Big Star – 16 year old Alex Chilton recorded what would become a number one hit in 1967. That was “The Letter”. “Fields of Clover” came a year or so later – and was the B-side to a song called “Choo-Choo Train”)

“The Remnant” (Live) by Josh Ritter (recorded at a 2010 show in Dublin.  The Remnant is on the Idaho singer-songwriter’s sixth studio album – So Runs the World Away)

PLAYLIST
 


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Monday Morning Music Shuffle – And it Burns… Mix

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It’s rather hot and miserable here in Nashville.  

We have 11 songs in the mix today.  New music and old music and new to me music. 

Enjoy!

Pre-Shuffle:  

  1. “Real Full-Time Guy” by Drive He Said
  2. “It’s a Miracle Gone”  and 
  3. “Weapons” by EndAnd
  4. “The Plan” by Year of October
  5. “Moving On (Towards Better Days)” by Luke Winslow-King
  6. “Who Needs Enemies” by Nikki Sue and the Bad News
  7. “New Lover” by Josh Ritter 
  8. “Honey, Honey” by The Milk Carton Kids


Shuffle – after the jump

  •  “The Dog is Mine” by K-OS from BLack On Blond (2013)


Grabbed this one off an Amazon sampler.  Pretty decent song.


  • “Love Reign O’er Me” by Pete Townsend from The Quadrophenia Demos 2 


A stripped down demo version of the Who classic.

  • “Ring of Fire” by 37 Targets from Another Day (1986)

A cover of the June Carter song made famous by her husband Johnny Cash as covered by an 80s band from Chattanooga, Tennessee.  I have a version of this from a vinyl EP called …And it Burns.  This version was included on the latest month mix tape by the fine folks at Feel Bad for You.

 Playlist

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Thursday Morning Music Shuffle – Still Life with Straw Hat Mix

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 Busy day… Let’s have some music!


Pre-Shuffle:

“Amelia, Have You Lost” by Game Theory (how many days in a row have we had a song by Game Theory in the daily mix?)

“Friends in Bottles” by The Takers (Outlaw Country from Gainesville, Florida)

“Love Letters” by Paper Route (Nashville Ambient Pop)

“GOODBYE” by Valued Customer (the bookend to “WELCOME”)

“Metal and Glass Exact” by Game Theory (how many days in a row have we had multiple songs by Game Theory in the mix?)

“Make You Think You Love Me” by Drive He Said  (E2TG’s first ever Band of the Week was Maxim Ludwig and the Sante Fe Seven. Drive He Said is Maxim’s new band. This song is from their debut EP Multitudes which features a lot a cool guest stars included the always awesome Caitlin Rose.

SHUFFLE NEXT –   JUMPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

  • “Clark Gable” by Mr. Kind and holychild  (download single) (2013)



Mr. Kind is the band formed by another previous featured artist Brian Bergeron. For this cover of the Postal Service song they team up with the LA band holychild. This is listed as the first from a project called “Mr. Kind &…”.  This is a gorgeous version of the song.


  • “Joy to You Baby” by Josh Ritter from The Beast In Its Tracks (2013)



A track from the latest album by Americana hero Josh Ritter.  Man, I love this song!


  • “Trap Door” by Strand of Oaks from Dark Shores ( 2012)

Strand of Oaks is from Philadelphia… I’ll let you go to Facebook and read about this band. Suffice it to say, I like this and I want to hear more.


  • “Sweet Thang” by Turbo Fruits from Butter (2012)

Turbo Fruits are from Nashville.They Rock. Really!  And for some reason when I embed the picture from Amazon (see above) it’s different than the picture on Amazon.  The link works, though, so no worries. 

 PLAYLIST OF THE DAY

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Friday Morning Music Shuffle – A Distant Ship Mix

I don’t know how, but somehow January has gotten away from us.  Welcome to February.

We have another jam-packed shuffle so – let’s do it… after le jump

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ONE:  
Darling Underdog
Jill Sobule and John Doe
A Day at the Pass (2011)

Released for Record Store Day 2011. Indie Folk/Rock darling with X man John Doe. Exene wrote the lyrics for this song.

TWO:
When You Were Young (The Killers Cover)
Garrison Starr
Relive (Noisetrade Version) (2012)
Cover of the first single from The Killers 2006 album, Sam’s Town. Garrison first released a cover of this song on a free EP in 2012.  We have it off a Sampler via Noisetrade.

THREE:
Comfortably Numb (Live)
Pink Floyd
 Pulse (1995)
This Gilmour/Waters tune from The Wall (1979) – recorded live during The Division Bell tour. Vocals here are by David Gilmour and Richard Wright.  I have become…

FOUR: 
Bayou Tortous
James McMurtry
Just Us Kids (2008)
Opening track from McMurtry’s 2008Just Us Kids album.

FIVE:
On We March
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
The Social Network: Five Track Sampler (2010)
Track from the Oscar-winning composers.

SIX:
Can’t Talk To You
The Boilers
City Without a Subway (1986)
Awesome Nashville 80s Rock – from a 1986 benefit album fro 91.1 WRVU. The album cover featured a painting by Howard Finster. 

(video for another Nashville 80s rock band – Guilt)

SEVEN: 
Lonely Holiday
Rhett Miller
Live at Eddie’s Attic (2012)
Live acoustic version of a song from Miller’s old band’s fourth album. (Old 97s/Fight Songs (1999))

EIGHT:
TV in the Bedroom
TV Girl
The Wild, The Innocent, The TV Shuffle (2012)

San Diego Lo-Fi Indie Pop band – from their 2012 mixtape

http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=1638640886/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/

 

NINE:
October
U2
October (1981)
Spare and beautiful.  

TEN:
Lifted
Nat Baldwin
People Changes (2011)
Part of Dirty Projectors – nice shattered pop music from a fractured age… 

ELEVEN: 
Trembling Hands
Explosions in the Sky
Take Care, Take Care, Take Care (2011)
Nifty Alt-Rock instrumental from the Austin-based band.

TWELVE:
Hard to Build a Home
Marvin Etzioni
Marvin Country! (2012)
Classic “talking” style country sound as interpreted by the multi-talented, multi-instrumentalist.

Here’s another Marvin Country! track

THIRTEEN:
The Curse
Josh Ritter
So Runs the World Away (2010)
Nice way to close out the shuffle – this track from Josh Ritter’s sixth full-length album.

 
 
 
 
 

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